"I know," [Hassan] said, breaking our embrace. "Inshallah, we'll celebrate later. Right now, I'm going to run that blue kite for you," he said. He dropped the spool and took off running, the hem of his green chapan dragging in the snow behind him. "Hassan!" I called. "Come back with it!" He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "For you a thousand times over!" he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph. (7.52-54)
The Significance:
The quote signifies Hassan's unrequited love, dedication, and faithfulness to Amir. Hassan wants nothing more than to make his best friend happy by getting him that kite. He would do anything "a thousand times over" if it meant that Amir could feel proud and accomplished in front of his father. However, Hassan had to make a terrible sacrifice (his body and soul) to get the kite. Amir could have attempted to rescue Hassan, but then he might have lost the kite. So while Hassan selflessly gave away his body and soul for Amir, Amir selfishly stayed hidden and waited to receive his kite. Therefore, the significance of the quote is that it emphasizes the clear differences between Hassan and Amir. Hassan is brave, loyal, naturally smart, and willing to sacrifice anything for his friend. Amir is cowardly, self-concerned, educated, and willing to sacrifice his friend for an object--an object that Amir believed would make his father, Baba, proud of him.
The irony of the situation was that by not stopping Assef and the others, Amir became exactly the sort of coward that Baba worried he would become (e.g., “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything”—Baba). Furthermore, by not defending Hassan, Amir ignored some of his father's most cherished principles: honor, pride, and bravery. In order to seem like a man in his father's eyes, Amir actually did what Baba would consider the most shameful thing that anyone could do—abandon and betray a friend. Lastly, Amir wanted the kite so that he could earn Baba’s love and ultimately be happy, but ironically, he ended up feeling the exact opposite. Instead, Amir earned himself an overwhelming sense of guilt that lingered throughout the rest of the novel.
The Importance of the Quote Before the Rape Scene:
The Scene:
"I know," [Hassan] said, breaking our embrace. "Inshallah, we'll celebrate later. Right now, I'm going to run that blue kite for you," he said. He dropped the spool and took off running, the hem of his green chapan dragging in the snow behind him. "Hassan!" I called. "Come back with it!" He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "For you a thousand times over!" he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph. (7.52-54)
The Significance:
The quote signifies Hassan's unrequited love, dedication, and faithfulness to Amir. Hassan wants nothing more than to make his best friend happy by getting him that kite. He would do anything "a thousand times over" if it meant that Amir could feel proud and accomplished in front of his father. However, Hassan had to make a terrible sacrifice (his body and soul) to get the kite. Amir could have attempted to rescue Hassan, but then he might have lost the kite. So while Hassan selflessly gave away his body and soul for Amir, Amir selfishly stayed hidden and waited to receive his kite. Therefore, the significance of the quote is that it emphasizes the clear differences between Hassan and Amir. Hassan is brave, loyal, naturally smart, and willing to sacrifice anything for his friend. Amir is cowardly, self-concerned, educated, and willing to sacrifice his friend for an object--an object that Amir believed would make his father, Baba, proud of him.
The irony of the situation was that by not stopping Assef and the others, Amir became exactly the sort of coward that Baba worried he would become (e.g., “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything”—Baba). Furthermore, by not defending Hassan, Amir ignored some of his father's most cherished principles: honor, pride, and bravery. In order to seem like a man in his father's eyes, Amir actually did what Baba would consider the most shameful thing that anyone could do—abandon and betray a friend. Lastly, Amir wanted the kite so that he could earn Baba’s love and ultimately be happy, but ironically, he ended up feeling the exact opposite. Instead, Amir earned himself an overwhelming sense of guilt that lingered throughout the rest of the novel.